Prof TJ Joseph (Right)
Kerala High Court suspended the life sentence of MK Nasar, convicted for orchestrating the 2010 attack on Professor TJ Joseph over a blasphemy accusation. Nasar, who had served over nine years in prison, was the primary conspirator behind the brutal attack in which the hands of the victim were severed, according to the NIA
On December 13, the Kerala High Court suspended the life imprisonment sentence of MK Nasar, one of the individuals convicted for the brutal attack on Professor TJ Joseph, whose hand was severed by Islamists in 2010 over an alleged blasphemy accusation against Prophet Mohammad.
MK Nasar, who was convicted in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment by an NIA special court, had his sentence suspended by the Kerala High Court. The court justified the suspension, noting that Nasar has already served over nine years in prison.
The division bench, comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice PV Balakrishnan, noted that MK Nasar, the third accused in the NIA’s case, has been in custody for over nine years. The court highlighted that Nasar had surrendered on November 6, 2015, but the trial did not commence until June 23, 2021, with the final judgment delivered only on July 12, 2023.
In its prosecution, the NIA argued that MK Nasar was the primary conspirator behind the attack on Professor TJ Joseph. According to the agency, Nasar masterminded the attack and recruited individuals to carry out the brutal attack on the professor while he was visiting a church with his family on July 4, 2010.
Professor Joseph was accused of alleged blasphemy by Islamist groups after a rumour spread that he had insulted Prophet Muhammad in a question he had set for an exam. MK Nasar was convicted under Section 20 of the UAPA, Sections 302 and 120(B) of the IPC, and Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act.
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